the water-babies-第9章

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So；　at　five　the　next　morning　up　he　got；　and　into　his　bath；　and　into　his　shooting…jacket　and　gaiters；　and　into　the　stableyard；　like　a　fine　old　English　gentleman；　with　a　face　as　red　as　a　rose；　and　a　hand　as　hard　as　a　table；　and　a　back　as　broad　as　a　bullock's；　and　bade　them　bring　his　shooting　pony；　and　the　keeper　to　come　on　his　pony；　and　the　huntsman；　and　the　first　whip；　and　the　second　whip；　and　the　under…keeper　with　the　bloodhound　in　a　leash　…　a　great　dog　as　tall　as　a　calf；　of　the　colour　of　a　gravel…walk；　with　mahogany　ears　and　nose；　and　a　throat　like　a　church…bell。　　They　took　him　up　to　the　place　where　Tom　had　gone　into　the　wood；　and　there　the　hound　lifted　up　his　mighty　voice；　and　told　them　all　he　knew。

Then　he　took　them　to　the　place　where　Tom　had　climbed　the　wall；　and　they　shoved　it　down；　and　all　got　through。

And　then　the　wise　dog　took　them　over　the　moor；　and　over　the　fells；　step　by　step；　very　slowly；　for　the　scent　was　a　day　old；　you　know；　and　very　light　from　the　heat　and　drought。　　But　that　was　why　cunning　old　Sir　John　started　at　five　in　the　morning。

And　at　last　he　came　to　the　top　of　Lewthwaite　Crag；　and　there　he　bayed；　and　looked　up　in　their　faces；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃I　tell　you　he　is　gone　down　here！〃

They　could　hardly　believe　that　Tom　would　have　gone　so　far；　and　when　they　looked　at　that　awful　cliff；　they　could　never　believe　that　he　would　have　dared　to　face　it。　　But　if　the　dog　said　so；　it　must　be　true。

〃Heaven　forgive　us！〃　said　Sir　John。　　〃If　we　find　him　at　all；　we　shall　find　him　lying　at　the　bottom。〃　　And　he　slapped　his　great　hand　upon　his　great　thigh；　and　said　…

〃Who　will　go　down　over　Lewthwaite　Crag；　and　see　if　that　boy　is　alive？　　Oh　that　I　were　twenty　years　younger；　and　I　would　go　down　myself！〃　　And　so　he　would　have　done；　as　well　as　any　sweep　in　the　county。　　Then　he　said　…

〃Twenty　pounds　to　the　man　who　brings　me　that　boy　alive！〃　and　as　was　his　way；　what　he　said　he　meant。

Now　among　the　lot　was　a　little　groom…boy；　a　very　little　groom　indeed；　and　he　was　the　same　who　had　ridden　up　the　court；　and　told　Tom　to　come　to　the　Hall；　and　he　said　…

〃Twenty　pounds　or　none；　I　will　go　down　over　Lewthwaite　Crag；　if　it's　only　for　the　poor　boy's　sake。　　For　he　was　as　civil　a　spoken　little　chap　as　ever　climbed　a　flue。〃

So　down　over　Lewthwaite　Crag　he　went：　　a　very　smart　groom　he　was　at　the　top；　and　a　very　shabby　one　at　the　bottom；　for　he　tore　his　gaiters；　and　he　tore　his　breeches；　and　he　tore　his　jacket；　and　he　burst　his　braces；　and　he　burst　his　boots；　and　he　lost　his　hat；　and　what　was　worst　of　all；　he　lost　his　shirt　pin；　which　he　prized　very　much；　for　it　was　gold；　and　he　had　won　it　in　a　raffle　at　Malton；　and　there　was　a　figure　at　the　top　of　it；　of　t'ould　mare；　noble　old　Beeswing　herself；　as　natural　as　life；　so　it　was　a　really　severe　loss：　　but　he　never　saw　anything　of　Tom。

And　all　the　while　Sir　John　and　the　rest　were　riding　round；　full　three　miles　to　the　right；　and　back　again；　to　get　into　Vendale；　and　to　the　foot　of　the　crag。

When　they　came　to　the　old　dame's　school；　all　the　children　came　out　to　see。　　And　the　old　dame　came　out　too；　and　when　she　saw　Sir　John；　she　curtsied　very　low；　for　she　was　a　tenant　of　his。

〃Well；　dame；　and　how　are　you？〃　said　Sir　John。

〃Blessings　on　you　as　broad　as　your　back；　Harthover；〃　says　she　…　she　didn't　call　him　Sir　John；　but　only　Harthover；　for　that　is　the　fashion　in　the　North　country　…　〃and　welcome　into　Vendale：　　but　you're　no　hunting　the　fox　this　time　of　the　year？〃

〃I　am　hunting；　and　strange　game　too；〃　said　he。

〃Blessings　on　your　heart；　and　what　makes　you　look　so　sad　the　morn？〃

〃I'm　looking　for　a　lost　child；　a　chimney…sweep；　that　is　run　away。〃

〃Oh；　Harthover；　Harthover；〃　says　she；　〃ye　were　always　a　just　man　and　a　merciful；　and　ye'll　no　harm　the　poor　little　lad　if　I　give　you　tidings　of　him？〃

〃Not　I；　not　I；　dame。　　I'm　afraid　we　hunted　him　out　of　the　house　all　on　a　miserable　mistake；　and　the　hound　has　brought　him　to　the　top　of　Lewthwaite　Crag；　and　…　〃

Whereat　the　old　dame　broke　out　crying；　without　letting　him　finish　his　story。

〃So　he　told　me　the　truth　after　all；　poor　little　dear！　　Ah；　first　thoughts　are　best；　and　a　body's　heart'll　guide　them　right；　if　they　will　but　hearken　to　it。〃　　And　then　she　told　Sir　John　all。

〃Bring　the　dog　here；　and　lay　him　on；〃　said　Sir　John；　without　another　word；　and　he　set　his　teeth　very　hard。

And　the　dog　opened　at　once；　and　went　away　at　the　back　of　the　cottage；　over　the　road；　and　over　the　meadow；　and　through　a　bit　of　alder　copse；　and　there；　upon　an　alder　stump；　they　saw　Tom's　clothes　lying。　　And　then　they　knew　as　much　about　it　all　as　there　was　any　need　to　know。

And　Tom？

Ah；　now　comes　the　most　wonderful　part　of　this　wonderful　story。　Tom；　when　he　woke；　for　of　course　he　woke　…　children　always　wake　after　they　have　slept　exactly　as　long　as　is　good　for　them　…　found　himself　swimming　about　in　the　stream；　being　about　four　inches；　or　…　that　I　may　be　accurate　…　3。87902　inches　long　and　having　round　the　parotid　region　of　his　fauces　a　set　of　external　gills　（I　hope　you　understand　all　the　big　words）　just　like　those　of　a　sucking　eft；　which　he　mistook　for　a　lace　frill；　till　he　pulled　at　them；　found　he　hurt　himself；　and　made　up　his　mind　that　they　were　part　of　himself；　and　best　left　alone。

In　fact；　the　fairies　had　turned　him　into　a　water…baby。

A　water…baby？　　You　never　heard　of　a　water…baby。　　Perhaps　not。　　That　is　the　very　reason　why　this　story　was　written。　　There　are　a　great　many　things　in　the　world　which　you　never　heard　of；　and　a　great　many　more　which　nobody　ever　heard　of；　and　a　great　many　things；　too；　which　nobody　will　ever　hear　of；　at　least　until　the　coming　of　the　Cocqcigrues；　when　man　shall　be　the　measure　of　all　things。

〃But　there　are　no　such　things　as　water…babies。〃

How　do　you　know　that？　　Have　you　been　there　to　see？　　And　if　you　had　been　there　to　see；　and　had　seen　none；　that　would　not　prove　that　there　were　none。　　If　Mr。　Garth　does　not　find　a　fox　in　Eversley　Wood　…　as　folks　sometimes　fear　he　never　will　…　that　does　not　prove　that　there　are　no　such　things　as　foxes。　　And　as　is　Eversley　Wood　to　all　the　woods　in　England；　so　are　the　waters　we　know　to　all　the　waters　in　the　world。　　And　no　one　has　a　right　to　say　that　no　water…babies　exist；　till　they　have　seen　no　water…babies　existing；　which　is　quite　a　different　thing；　mind；　from　not　seeing　water…babies；　and　a　thing　which　nobody　ever　did；　or　perhaps　ever　will　do。

〃But　surely　if　there　were　water…babies；　somebody　would　have　caught　one　at　least？〃

Well。　　How　do　you　know　that　somebody　has　not？

〃But　they　would　have　put　it　into　spirits；　or　into　the　ILLUSTRATED　NEWS；　or　perhaps　cut　it　into　two　halves；　poor　dear　little　thing；　and　sent　one　to　Professor　Owen；　and　one　to　Professor　Huxley；　to　see　what　they　would　each　say　about　it。〃

Ah；　my　dear　little　man！　that　does　not　follow　at　all；　as　you　will　see　before　the　end　of　the　story。

〃But　a　water…baby　is　contrary　to　nature。〃

Well；　but；　my　dear　little　man；　you　must　learn　to　talk　about　such　things；　when　you　grow　older；　in　a　very　different　way　from　that。　You　must　not　talk　about　〃ain't〃　and　〃can't〃　when　you　speak　of　this　great　wonderful　world　round　you；　of　which　the　wisest　man　knows　only　the　very　smallest　corner；　and　is；　as　the　great　Sir　Isaac　Newton　said；　only　a　child　picking　up　pebbles　on　the　shore　of　a　boundless　ocean。

You　must　not　say　that　this　cannot　be；　or　that　that　is　contrary　to　nature。　　You　do　not　know　what　Nature　is；　or　what　she　can　do；　and　nobody　knows；　not　even　Sir　Roderick　Murchison；　or　Professor　Owen；　or　Professor　Sedgwick；　or　Professor　Huxley；　or　Mr。　Darwin；　or　Professor　Faraday；　or　Mr。　Grove；　or　any　other　of　the　great　men　whom　good　boys　are　taught　to　respect。　　They　are　very　wise　men；　and　you　must　listen　respectfully　to　all　they　say：　　but　even　if　they　should　say；　which　I　am　sure　they　never　would；　〃That　cannot　exist。　　That　is　contrary　to　nature；〃　you　must　wait　a　little；　and　see；　for　perhaps　even　they　may　be　wrong。　　It　is　only　children　who　read　Aunt　Agitate's　Arguments；　or　Cousin　Cramchild's　Conversations；　or　lads　who　go　to　popular　lectures；　and　see　a　man　pointing　at　a　few　big　ugly　pictures　on　the　wall；　or　making　nasty　smells　with　bottles　and　squirts；　for　an　hour　or　two；　and　calling　that　anatomy　or　chemistry　…　who　talk　about　〃cann